The San Antonio Spurs are facing their toughest challenge yet right now, down 2-1 to a stacked New York Knicks team heading into Game 4. While the series is still anyone’s to win, the momentum is on New York’s side right now after winning its first two games on the road.
In a segment in the latest episode of the Mind the Game podcast, NBA LeBron James and Steve Nash spoke about the series and what adjustments the Spurs should make. With their season on the line, De’Aaron Fox’s play has become increasingly important, but Steve Nash says that young guard Dylan Harper might deserve a bigger role in these Finals.
“The Fox situation is important,” said Nash. “How healthy is he? He had a poor Game 1, but he’s an all-star. We know what he can do and what he brings to the team, the calmness he can bring to this team. But he has to play at the level. Conversely, Dylan Harper was amazing in Game 1. He got to it in iso situations, was making defensive plays, and it felt like nobody could contain him on the Knicks.”
Fox’s health was compromised to start the series, and it showed in Game 1 with an unimpressive stat line of seven points, four rebounds, five assists, and one steal on 3-13 shooting. He was better in Game 2, when he scored 20 points on 8-12 shooting, but he struggled in Monday’s game with 12 points, three rebounds, eight assists, one steal, and two blocks on 4-14 shooting from the field. LeBron says he’ll be a major factor in the series, but the Spurs may be forced to choose between him and Harper.
“This is not the time to feel like, okay, if I don’t play this guy, we may lose them for the rest of the season,” said LeBron. “Well, this is the season. And I do know DeAaron Fox is a huge piece to their puzzle, and they brought him in for a reason. We talked about Jalen Brunson being Clutch Player of the Year. I think Fox was maybe two years ago. We know what he can do in late games. His speed dynamic when he’s healthy, his shot-making ability when he’s healthy. He’s able to break down defenses in 94 feet or in. I think it’s a gauge on how the game is going.”
Victor Wembanyama’s struggles are another puzzle for San Antonio. His efficiency has fluctuated throughout the series, going from 28.6% shooting in Game 1 to 52.4% shooting in Game 2. Game 3 was his best so far with 32 points, eight rebounds, and six assists on 61.1% shooting from the field. It’ll be tough to outsmart this Knicks defense, but the Spurs can make things easier for Wemby if they just get him cleaner looks on the floor.
“I think they have to get back to being in the corners, them setting pindowns for him, getting him on the move, getting a body off of him,” James added. “KAT uses his body against him, physicality, which you can do a lot in the postseason, especially in the Finals. I can see them trying to get him on the move a little bit more, using his athleticism to come off catch and shoot or coming downhill.”
The Spurs have been seeing heavy resistance in these Finals, and they will have to adjust, or this could be a quick series. Fortunately, we’ve already seen some positive signs in Game 3, where Victor and the Spurs looked much more comfortable in their offense. But to win three more games (which Stephon Castle fully expects), San Antonio may have to take some more drastic measures.
Whether it’s a shift in the starting lineup or a change in the offensive strategy, we can expect another fierce response from the Spurs, who are playing with increasing desperation. As the Knicks respond with their own adjustments, the Spurs will have to be ready to answer on Wednesday, but they’ve already been hard at work preparing the updated game plan.
